News and views about the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and other legislation, schemes and policies impacting the Right to Education of India's Children.

HC to hear fee PIL against Kendriya Vidyalayas today

A civil rights group has filed a public interest litigation in Delhi High Court against Kendriya Vidyalayas for charging fee from class I to 8 students in violation of the Right to Education Act, 2009. The hearing is fixed for Wednesday.

The petitioner, social jurist, said, “Despite Article 21 and 21-A of the Constitution providing right to free and compulsory education and RTE Act, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan has failed to provide free education to children studying in classes 1 to 8 in Kendriya Vidyalayas across the city.”

“It is also subjecting students to pay fee in one form or another,” he added. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan runs over 1,000 Kendriya Vidyalayas all over the country.

Fee hikeThe petition said the fee has been arbitrarily increased from the 2013-14 academic session. “A Kendriya Vidyalaya in west Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh was taking Rs 720 quarterly from a class I student in 2012-13 session. And Rs 150 as computer fund. In 2013-14, the fee has been increased to Rs 1,500 quarterly,” it added.

Refund

The petitioner said, “The parents of students who have been subjected to pay fee to Kendriya Vidyalayas should be entitled to get refund.”

Around 10 lakh students study in classes 1 to 12 in Kendriya Vidyalayas across India. Nearly seven to eight lakh students are studying in elementary classes from 1 to 8